Sand and Water
by Shaz1
Summary: My attempt at the NCIS:LA Magazine Callen's Corner challenge #4- it appears that Callen can't even manage a vacation without needing his partner to bail him out, the question is will he make it on time?
1. Chapter 1

Sand and Water

By Shaz1

None of the recognised characters belong to me, they are all the property of Shane Brennan and CBS.

This is my attempt at the NCIS:LA Magazine challenge number four- hopefully it will pass muster!

This is set early season five.

Sand and Water

Special Agent G Callen actually whistled as he left the house, things had finally settled back down at his place of work after the rough ride they had all been put through in their latest major case. Even better today was Friday and the entire team were finishing early and having a long weekend off duty. He looked around him, squinting in the sun and smiled to himself- he was looking forward to enjoying the warm sea, the hot sun and a cold beer. Without further delay he was in his car and heading towards the office- as usual taking a longer route than was completely necessary as the paranoia that served to keep him alive stepped in.

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Sam sighed as he pulled out his chair- he flexed his shoulders and took a glance at his in tray. He hated paperwork, admittedly not as much as his partner hated it, but it would be worth it for the lunchtime finish and the full three days off that followed. He looked up as his partner walked in, clutching a box of breakfast and a steaming cup of coffee.

"Good morning" Callen greeted as he placed his treat on his desk and dropped his bag by his chair.

"Let me guess- bacon and egg?" Sam replied by way of a greeting.

"The breakfast of Kings Sam" Callen responded with a grin as he sat back down.

"Kings that want to have a heart attack at a young age" Sam retaliated with a disapproving look on his face.

"Not going to happen Sam" Callen dismissed, chewing on a slice of bacon with a grin on his face. The other senior agent refrained from commenting- knowing full well that it would simply cause his partner to bait him even further. He was saved from any further conversation by the arrival of the other partnership- their squabbling could be heard as soon as they stepped through the door into the mission.

"It so is the greatest partnership of all time" Deeks commented as he put his bag on his desk.

"They are not even partners Deeks" Kensi replied with a long suffering sigh.

"What do you mean they aren't partners of course they are" he corrected as he sat down.

"Who are you talking about?" Sam asked, unable to help himself and not missing the groan that came from the general direction of his partner.

"Tom and Jerry- Deeks here seems to think that they are the greatest partnership of all time" Kensi scoffed.

"They ain't partners Deeks" Sam stated his tone clear that he was stating fact rather than opinion.

"Of course they are"

"No they spend their lives fighting- they chase each other. The whole concept is about a cat trying to catch a mouse- to eat him Deeks, does that sound like a partnership to you?" Sam told him with a raised eyebrow. Deeks didn't reply as he exchanged a glance with his partner, a grin spreading across his face as he pondered how to reply.

"Don't even start Deeks" Kensi told him through gritted teeth getting to her feet and heading over to the coffee station. Deeks chuckled to himself, but even he knew better than to push his luck so early in the day. Deciding that a change of subject might be a good idea he leant back in his chair before turning his attention to the two male teammates sat around.

"So do you have anything exciting planned for the days off?" he asked. "Only a friend of mine happens to be out of town for the weekend and has given me the keys to his luxury beach side chalet. Private hot tub, fully stocked bar, full range of satellite channels, fishing boats for use and not to mention the waves- the surf should be to die for this weekend" he told them with a grin. His eyes refused to lock on either of them, certain to his gut that neither agent would deem him worthy of spending the weekend away.

"Sounds awesome Deeks- how did you score that?" Sam asked with a smile.

"A friend that owes me a favour- so you up for it?" he asked the former seal with a small smile.

"As much as the idea of a boys weekend away on the edge of the ocean appeals more than I can say- I value my marriage and my life too much" he replied with a grin.

"Michelle would kill you huh?" Deeks asked in understanding.

"Slowly and painfully- she knows how to make someone talk after all" he stated. "Family weekend away has my name all over it" he finished.

"Callen- how about you?" Deeks asked, hating the fact that he felt butterflies in his stomach as he asked, he couldn't help but think he wasn't worthy of the company of the team leader.

Callen looked at the detective, a few months ago he would have turned down the invitation without a second thought- but so much had happened since. He had judged the other man harshly when he returned to work after the Siderov incident.

"I have nothing on- sure Deeks, sounds good thanks" he finally replied- shocking himself with his words as much as he surprised the other man.

"Really?" Deeks asked, his voice coming out as a squeak. "I mean cool- that's good well yeah awesome" he rambled. Callen hid his amusement at the other man's surprise.

"I'll go to the store when we finish and get some supplies- is that cool?" the older man asked with a straight face.

"Awesome" Deeks replied, managing to stop himself from speaking any more. Sam surveyed both men as the exchanged continued, surprised at his partner's willingness to actually socialise with a team member.

"I'll go and get Hetty- see what files need submitting today" Callen stated getting to his feet and hiding his grin as he walked away.

"What the hell" Deeks whispered to himself as the shock caught up with him.

"You're telling me. What leverage do you have over him?" Sam asked in confusion.

"Nothing, I have no idea why he agreed- I thought he was the last person that he would choose to spend his time off with" Deeks confessed, the surprise allowing his mouth to run away with him.

"Don't run yourself down man- Callen doesn't choose to spend his time with anybody" Sam stated. "I almost wish I could make it now Deeks- this has got to be worth seeing".

End Chapter One

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Thank you so much for the wonderful response to the last chapter- you guys are great!

Chapter Two

"I have to hand it to you Deeks- this place is pretty amazing" Callen admitted as the two men stepped through the door to the beautiful beach front property. Callen surveyed the crisp décor of the clearly very expensive house.

"Yep- awesome isn't it?" Deeks agreed with a smile as he moved further into the house- pleased at the reaction from the team leader.

"Who did you say you have borrowed it from again?" Callen queried, placing his trusty kit bag down beside the sofa.

"A friend from my law school days- I helped him out of a jam and he lets me have the keys for this place whenever he is out of town" the detective explained as he moved towards the kitchen area and pulled two beers from the fridge- opening the bottles and handing one to the older man.

"Thanks" Callen acknowledged still looking around.

"I figured takeaway pizza tonight- then hit the surf tomorrow?" Deeks suggested, still treading carefully around the other man his lack of confidence making him fear that his suggestions wouldn't be good enough.

"Yeah sounds good" Callen responded as he sipped at the beer. Deeks grinned, glad at the response.

"Well cool, come on I'll show you your room" he stated, moving on and knowing that the other man would follow.

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Two hours later and both men had enjoyed a leisurely swim in the still warm ocean and were sat on the golden sand in front of the deck drinking a cold beer to reward their efforts.

"This is beautiful" Callen stated as he stared out across the water. He had always felt at home near the sea, he found he crashing of the waves soothing- perhaps because of his birth near the black sea as he had recently discovered.

"I would love to live here" Deeks replied softly, his gaze also taking in the horizon.

"You could have done as a lawyer" Callen commented.

"Not as a public defender I wouldn't" Deeks scoffed. "It wasn't for me man- I like nice things as much as the next guy, but I love being a cop. I need to know I am doing something that makes a difference" he admitted, the relaxation loosening his tongue.

"You do make a difference Deeks and you clearly care about what you do" Callen commented, hating the lack of confidence that the younger man seemed to suffer from lately, previously something that he wouldn't have attributed to the him.

"I do and I think I am a damn good cop" he admitted. Callen smiled at the comment, pleased to hear the words. "I don't regret giving up law and I don't regret becoming liaison to your guys- I just need to make sure I work damn hard to stay on top of my game" Deeks told him in a rare display of openness and sensibility.

"That's nothing unusual Deeks, we all have to work at staying on top" Callen reassured him.

"Come on Callen- you don't it just seems to come to you"

"Everybody makes mistakes Deeks, no one is infallible- but if you ever tell Sam that I said that I will kill you" Callen threatened with a grin. "Now how about another beer?" he asked as he got to his feet and headed back into the house. Deeks grinned, he genuinely felt better than he had that morning- this was clearly one of his better ideas.

"Hell yeah" the detective finally muttered to himself as he got to his feet, dusted off the sand and wandered back into the house to savour another cold beer and decide on his pizza order.

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Sam whistled as he loaded the final bag into the car- thanking his lucky stars that they were only going away for a weekend, otherwise they would have needed a trailer for the amount of baggage his wife insisted on taking anywhere that they went.

"Are you sure I won't need another jumper?" Michelle asked as she put her handbag in the front footwell.

"It is pushing eighty degrees and bright sunshine- not to mention you have already packed four different jumpers and a jacket for two nights away" Sam retorted.

"Don't you take that attitude with Samuel Hanna" the ex CIA agent reprimanded him. "I want this weekend to be perfect" she added in a softer voice.

"I do too babe- and it will be" Sam promised as he slammed the boot shut. Michelle smiled and turned to lock the front door- the NCIS agent moved to the driver's side of the car and slid in behind the wheel. Pulling out his cell phone he tapped out a quick text to his partner before starting the engine and whisking his wife away.

LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA

"Ah man I am completely stuffed" Callen groaned as he threw the final crust back into the pizza box.

"Me too" Deeks agreed lying back on the sofa, unable to move any further.

"I am not going to be able to move all night" Callen complained from his position on the opposite sofa.

"But it was worth it huh?" Deeks grinned.

"Completely" the older man agreed. "Man its ten o'clock already" he realised.

"Best surf is at seven" Deeks commented, not wanting to push the older man.

"Need to turn in for the night soon"

"I thought you didn't sleep?" Deeks queried.

"I sleep- don't listen to Sam all the time man" Callen cautioned.

"Hmm but for how long" Deeks murmured as he got to his feet and attempted to stretch past the huge amount of food that currently lay in his stomach. Callen chose to ignore the barbed comment and headed to his allocated room.

"Night Deeks" he bid as he closed the door behind him and laid out on his bed- fingers interlocked behind his head. He heard the other man walking around for a short time before the lights went out and the door closed. Callen chuckled to himself, he had enjoyed himself far more than he thought he would. He reached on the bedside table for his cell and noticed a text from his partner. He laughed at the fact that despite being on a break away with his wife Sam still didn't trust him to stay out of trouble. He tapped out a quick reply and put the device back on the table- reaching for his Serbian phrase book and reciting the words in his head.

LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA

The next morning the two men were up bright and early- already out in the surf.

"I never knew you could surf" Deeks commented as the two chilled out in the warm water each straddling their boards.

"I don't get out as much as I used to" Callen admitted with a shrug. "I tend to swim more" he added.

"You should make time man" Deeks stated, he couldn't remember a time when he had seen the team leader looking as relaxed as he did at that moment in time.

"That could be said for a lot of things my friend" Callen responded with a wry smile, looking over his shoulder and catching sight of an approaching wave. Keen to catch it he paddled forward and without a backward glance was up and riding. Deeks couldn't help the smile that covered his face as he watched his boss transform before his eyes into a big kid allowed to play on the beach.

LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA

The day passed in a blur for the two men as they relaxed in the sea- finishing the day by putting steak on the barbeque.

"I have to say Deeks- this was definitely one of your better ideas" Callen told the younger man with a grin. Deeks snorted at the slight compliment.

"Why thanks" he acknowledged. He was about to further retort when a knock on the door caused him to lose his train of thought.

"Expecting someone?" Callen asked, instantly alert at the intrusion.

"Nope- probably just a neighbour or something" Deeks reassured him. Callen winced at the words, both of them knowing full well that there weren't any neighbours especially likely to be calling round at half past nine at night.

"You got your piece?" Callen asked softly, his hand already moving to his back.

"In my room- why would I have it on me?" Deeks queried, surprised by the sheer paranoia of the older man.

"Who did you say owned this place again?" Callen asked, a bad feeling settling in the pit of his stomach.

"A friend that I have known for years- relax Callen" Deeks stated, confused where the sudden shift had come from.

"What is his name Deeks?" the experienced agent asked, knowing that he appears paranoid- but since his natural paranoia was all that had kept him alive so far he was willing to run with it.

"Jacob Goddard" the detective finally relented. "And he is as clean as a whistle" he added. Callen barely registered the name before the paranoia was yet again proven to be correct.

End Chapter Two

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

I am completely overwhelmed by the amazing reviews that I have got for this story- I am honestly shocked by it!

Chapter Three

Deeks didn't even make it to the front door before it swung open on the hinges, revealing an older male on the other side just removing his key from the lock. He stepped through the door and shut it behind him.

"Er hello" Deeks commented in greeting to whoever was currently stepping through the door.

"Marty is that you?" the man questioned as he moved forward. "Sorry son- I didn't realise that you were using the place. Jacob never mentioned it"

"Oh hey Mr Goddard- it was a last minute thing" Deeks responded with a smile, shaking hands with the other man.

"I stayed over last week and think I left my cell phone charger in the spare room" the man explained, moving through the house as he spoke. Callen ducked into the doorway of the nearby kitchen as he heard the familiar voice moving towards him- his hand gripped his trusty SIG as he listened to the conversation. He heard muffled voices heading his way- unable to make out the words being spoken he remained in place, peering through the gap in the door as he saw them heading towards the bedroom that was currently claimed as his own. He cursed, hoping that Goddard would get what he came for and disappear away so that he could get his things together and source a way out of the area.

Deeks followed his old friend's uncle through the house as he headed for the room that Callen was currently staying in- he had no idea where the lead agent was at that moment in time, but he trusted the older man's instincts.

"Jake is out of town, I felt like a surf weekend with a friend of mine and he offered the place" Deeks explained with a shrug.

"No problem Marty- I would have left you in peace if I'd known you were here is all" the older man responded as he pushed open the door to the familiar room. "Your friend won't mind me going in here?" he asked, noticing the bag on the floor.

"No I'm sure he would be fine with it" Deeks responded, praying that Callen wasn't going to kick his ass for this.

"Ah a military friend?" Goddard asked, pointing towards the military style kit bag stowed beside the bed.

"Former military" Deeks responded, leaning against the door.

"Navy?" Goddard asked, catching the detective by surprise.

"Er I am not too sure" he finally stated, unable to help but feel his friend's paranoia rubbing off on him.

"Here it is- well nice to see you Marty, apologies again for disturbing you" the man commented as he moved back through the house with his charger in his hand.

"No problem Mr Goddard, good to see you too" Marty said as way of farewell, closing the door behind the other man. "You can come out now" he stated loudly as soon as he was sure that the man had left. He turned round to see the agent step out from the shadows of the kitchen his SIG still gripped in his right hand. "I assume that you know him?" Deeks questioned softly, his hands placed loosely on his hips.

"I used to" Callen replied with a sigh, moving his gun back to the small of his back.

"Let me guess I ask you how and you tell me it's classified- then in about a half hour lots of scary men come back here and shoot the hell out of this luxury beachside property whilst also trying to kill us?" Deeks asked, the words leaving his mouth in one breath. Callen hesitated for a moment, his lips twitching ever so slightly in the merest hint of a grin.

"The first bit definitely- the second bit hopefully not. Did he see anything that he could link to me?" the undercover agent asked.

"He noticed your bag- asked if my friend was in the military" Deeks replied, leaning against the front door. Callen groaned at the comment rubbing his hands over his face. "What? I don't get it" Deeks queried in confusion.

"My bag- my name is stencilled on the side of it" Callen explained.

"Oh- well would Goddard know you by your real name?"

"Oh yes- there is no doubt" Callen replied, his tone firm as he spoke as yet again his past crept up on him.

Any further conversation between the two was halted by an almighty bang and a flash of light- yet for the NCIS duo the world turned to darkness.

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Sunday afternoon and Sam felt more relaxed than he had in months as he drove home with his wife beside him and his beloved daughter in the back of the car. The weekend away had done exactly as he had hoped and he had finally managed the long sought after quality time with his family. He couldn't believe how quickly the time had flown by and he was due back at work in fifteen hours time.

"Have you heard from Callen?" Michelle asked as she glanced out of the window.

"Not since Friday night- he's away with Deeks" Sam responded.

"Really?" she asked in shock. Callen was renowned for not playing well with others- she found it hard to believe that he had voluntarily gone on a vacation with the LAPD detective.

"Yep- surprised the hell out of me too" Sam chuckled in response.

"So you haven't heard from him in nearly 48 hours and you aren't climbing the walls worried that he might have got himself in some sort of trouble?" she teased him with a grin.

"Michelle he is in LA surfing with another team member for a couple of nights- what could possibly go wrong?" the former seal responded with a matching smile.

End Chapter Three

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	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Thank you so much for all of your reviews/favourites and Alerts- you guys are awesome! Please keep reviewing and I will try to update as soon as possible- especially since the deadline is only a few days away!

Chapter Four

Sam walked into Ops more relaxed than he had felt in weeks, placing his bag gently down on his desk he smiled at Kensi.

"How was your weekend?" he asked the junior agent as he sat down.

"Lovely and peaceful" she commented with a grin, each of them knowing she was referencing the fact that her partner had been away. "I had a project marathon runway with mom" she stated.

"That's great Kensi" Sam responded with a smile, genuinely glad that the relatively new relationship continued to blossom.

"Have you heard from Callen?" she asked him as he rearranged her paperwork so that it stood a chance of staying in place rather than toppling to the floor.

"Not since late on Friday" he replied. "Obviously far too busy having fun with Deeks" he added.

"They are cutting it a bit fine aren't there?" Kensi observed checking her watch and seeing that it was only two minutes until they were due to start work.

"Now that you mention it" Sam acknowledged realising that his partner should have made his way to work by now. "Have you heard from Deeks?" he asked.

"Not a peep" Kensi replied her concern growing.

"Mr Hanna, Miss Blye- ops now please" Hetty instructed them, moving as she spoke. The two agents followed her wordlessly- stomachs suddenly churning as they recognised that this could not be good.

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Callen groaned as he finally won his fight to regain consciousness. He had no concept of time or where he was. He blinked furiously, dust clogging his eyes and the darkness causing his vision to struggle to adjust. He coughed as he breathed in more dust, his lungs immediately showing their displeasure. He took a moment to get his breath back and gather his thoughts, when he had done so it all came flooding back to him. He had been on a surfing break with Deeks and yet again his past had come back to bite him. The last thing he remembered was an explosion, and his World turning to darkness- he had no idea how long ago it had been or where he now was. He blinked in an effort to adjust his sight, looking around his surroundings for any sign of the LAPD liaison.

"Deeks?" he coughed out as loudly as he dared, attempting to move only to find his hands bound behind his back and his feet tied together. He coughed to clear his throat and shouted again, managing to sound louder- yet still he received no response. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs, wincing as it caused pain to spear through his skull and dots clouded his vision. After a few moments he managed to gather himself together and shuffled forward on his behind- managing only a few inches before the pain that coursed through his body became too much and he once more passed out into oblivion.

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"It appears that your partners are unable to keep themselves out of trouble even for a second" Hetty stated, her voice carrying a worried tone as she spoke.

"What's going on Hetty?" Sam asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"This is what is going on Mr Hanna" she replied pointing to the screen behind her. The two agents looked in silence at the images of destruction in front of them.

"What is this?" Sam finally asked.

"This is what is left of the luxury beach side property that your partners were staying in over the weekend. There was an explosion in the early hours of Sunday morning" Hetty explained.

"Where are Callen and Deeks?" Kensi asked through the lump in her throat.

"At this moment in time they are unaccounted for" she told them, drawing on every skill she possessed as an undercover agent to not let any emotion into her voice. "The address is on its way to your phones- go and find the boys and bring them home" she instructed lightly. Neither of them even spared any words as they turned and headed out of ops quickly- each suffering from shock at the turn of events.

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Deeks awoke to a throbbing headache and a shooting pain his leg. He groaned as he pulled himself upright blinking against the bright light that threatened to blind him. He rubbed at his eyes and took in his surroundings. The earth appeared to be moving beneath him as he edged himself forward- he had no recollection of where he was, but he knew that he wasn't in the beach front villa that he last remembered. He sat up and looked at the bench that he sat on, taken in the small kitchenette and lounge area almost like on a boat. He took in the information and carefully got himself to his feet. He gingerly took a couple of steps forward and moved towards the door pushing it open he gasped at what he saw around him.

End Chapter Four

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	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

And so the next chapter…..please review!

Chapter Five

"Whoever did this knew what they were doing" Kensi commented as the two agents rifled through what was left of the property.

"LAPD have said that there was a pool of blood at the scene but no sign of any bodies" Sam replied, cursing his partner's display of bad luck yet again.

"The property is owned by a Jacob Goddard- he is linked to Deeks from his lawyer days- Nell is currently looking through everything we have to see if there is any reason for this"

"The house to house has shown nothing, nobody suspicious seen or heard all night" Sam commented with a sigh. "Goddard's uncle was seen to pay a call Saturday evening, other than that nothing"

"Anything on the Uncle?" Kensi asked, keen to find any possible lead.

"Nothing obvious- Eric is doing some digging, but it looks unlikely". The two agents exchanged a glance at the lack of any leads before turning and heading back to the car.

"We need something forensics" Kensi commented.

"CSI are pushing it through" Sam reassured her. "The wonder twins are also trying to remotely activate their cell phones"

"We need something Sam" the junior agent muttered. She had very little by way of a family and the two missing team members accounted for 50 per cent of what she had- she couldn't bear the thought of losing them.

"We'll find something" he promised, hoping to god that he was right- even if it was just to give him the chance to kill his partner himself for yet again scaring him to death.

LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA

When Callen next awoke it was to a burning sensation that encompassed his entire body. He could feel blistering heat beating down on him. His head pounded in time with every beat of his heart and his groan of pain hurt his own ears. He opened his eyes- only to instantly close them again as blinding light assailed his vision. He raised his hands to his head- his wrists bound together in front of him. He squeezed his hands into fists as a wave of nausea overwhelmed him and he found himself coughing up bile and phlegm. He gasped as a pain in his torso made another injury known. Slowly he rolled onto his back, confused as he felt unsteady despite barely moving. Carefully he pulled himself upright, his whole body rocking and threatening to cause another round of dry heaving. He looked around him, confused by the appearance of water on every side of him. His thoughts remained jumbled in his fuzzy head as he contemplated that he appeared to somehow be out at sea.

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Deeks couldn't understand why he appeared to be on a yacht- and not just any yacht but a very expensive one at that. He walked around the living space, noticing the fully stocked bar and all the freshly brewed coffee on offer. But where was Callen? He had searched the entire vessel and there was no sign of his team leader anywhere. His cell was missing from his pocket, but other than that everything was in order with him. He moved to the bow and stepped off onto the jetty, looking around him. He had no idea where he was or if he was even still in LA, and there was no one around to even find out where he had ended up. He sighed to himself as he contemplated his next moves- he didn't want to go too far in case Callen was somewhere nearby, yet he had to get some help. He had no concept of how much time had passed since the house had exploded, no idea what had caused the explosion and no information that might help him to join the dots.

Feeling in his gut that he had no option he stepped carefully from the boat and began heading towards the docks- hoping that someone would have a phone, a vehicle or anything that might help him back to civilisation and to wherever the lead agent was.

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"Goddard senior isn't as clean as he appears" Nell told the senior agent as he approached behind her.

"Go on" he prompted.

"In 2002 he was investigated by the FBI- the file is currently locked out to us as restricted access, but Hetty is working on getting us in" she explained.

"Who was the investigating officer?" Kensi asked.

"I will give you one guess" Eric replied with a sigh.

"When exactly will Callen cut a break?" the agent muttered with a shake of their head. Any further conversation was cut by the phone ringing. They exchanged a lock of confusion before Eric answered it- keeping his greeting vague, only to be greeted by the operator.

"Call from Dale Sully- do you accept the charges?" the tinny voice asked through the receiver, Eric recognised the name immediately.

"Yes I accept" awaiting the familiar voice to come on the line. "Marty- you called ops collect" he said by way of a greeting.

"I had no choice man- my wallet appears to have exploded" Deeks responded.

"Is Callen with you?" Sam interjected through the loud speaker.

"I was hoping he was there" Deeks replied, his tone carrying his concern. "Look I have no idea where I am- can you trace this number and arrange collection?" he asked tiredly, his head pounding in his ears.

"Be with you in an hour" Sam promised.

"Deeks, are you okay?" Kensi asked, unable to hide the worry in her voice.

"I am just peachy, just come and get me please" he asked, his tone unusually serious as his exhaustion caught up with him.

"See you soon partner" Kensi agreed as she followed Sam out of ops and towards the Challenger.

Eric and Nell exchanged a glance, pleased that one agent would be returning to them safely- but their worry for the second one increasing further.

End Chapter Five

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	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Thank you so much for all of your reviews, well the next chapters will follow pretty closely behind this one since I am pretty sure that today is the deadline for the challenge!

Chapter Six

Callen couldn't even summon the strength to move as the sun drained the little energy that he had left. His vision danced in front of him as the boat bobbed up and down in the water, his lips cracked and his skinned glowed red as the torture took it's toll. He could barely remember his own name as he focussed on simply dragging each breath in to his struggling lungs.

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Deeks stood in the blazing sun, kicking at the dust at his feet. He hated waiting- it wasn't that he was impatient, not generally anyway. He had no idea of what had happened to him- more importantly he had no clue where Callen could be or if the older man was even alive. He looked up as he heard an engine in the distance, praying silently that it was his team mates coming to get him. He moved forward as he saw the familiar black challenger- feeling hot, sweaty and in desperate need of a shower and his bed- he gratefully slid into the black seat of the car.

"Where the hell am I?" Deeks asked as he leant back in the seat and closed his eyes.

"Near Alamitos Bay" Kensi answered, surveying her partner for any obvious sign of injury. "You really have no idea how you got here?" she asked.

"No- the house we were staying in exploded- the World went black. Literally the next thing that I knew I woke up in the world's smallest room. When I could move without feeling like I was about to puke I explored a little and discovered that I was on some sort of Yacht- a rather expensive one at that near a jetty. There was no one around so I took off walking until I managed to find a payphone" he explained, his tone carrying his exhaustion.

"Can you direct me back to the boat?" Sam asked, keen for even the smallest lead possible to find his partner.

"Yeh- next left" he stated, and ten minutes later the three arrived near the small jetty.

"That's one hell of a walk in this sun Deeks" Sam commented with a whistle- admiring the detective's sense of survival.

"I didn't really have much choice did I?" Deeks reasoned. "It's that one there" he pointed, barely mustering the energy to raise his hand.

"You waiting here?" Sam asked, noticing how exhausted the detective was.

"Yeah- if it's all the same to you I am in no rush to get back on that boat again" he replied with a shudder. Sam chuckled at the response, before alighting from the car and heading towards the boat- Kensi following close behind. Sam immediately took photographs of the registered name and serial number and e-mailed them through to Ops, before heading into the living quarters. The two NCIS agents searched quickly and efficiently, but failed to find anything of any use.

"There has to be something here that can point us towards Callen" Kensi stated in frustration- she knew that the worry had to be eating Sam up as yet again he was forced to search for his missing partner and have no idea whether he was alive or dead. Sam wandered around the vessel, he had to be missing something- he just knew he had to be.

"Where's the lifeboat?" he asked, talking to himself as much as his colleague.

"Say what?" Kensi queried, not being as familiar with Yacht as the senior agent appeared to be.

"These come with a lifeboat as standard- nothing fancy, but it is usually attached to the hull" he explained, moving towards the rear of the yacht and taking in the hooks that were obvious to him and more importantly the absence of the small lifeboat that should have been attached there. Quickly he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and hit the speed dial for Ops.

End Chapter Six

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	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

This is the second from last main chapter to this story- just to be followed by a little chapter and an epilogue and then this will be all done!

Chapter Seven

Special Agent G Callen had always liked the water, he enjoyed swimming, surfing and sailing- he had never held fear of the ocean, knowing that he could swim well enough to stay safe. He had also enjoyed warm climates, loving the feeling of the hot sun on his face- the warm weather ensuring that he was free to go out for a run or a swim whenever he wanted. At this moment in time, as he clung on to the last possible string of consciousness he was pretty sure he would be happy to never see the blazing sun or hear the sound of lapping waves ever again.

He thought back to all of the near misses that he had survived over the last two decades, every bullet that had narrowly missed him and those that didn't miss. Every explosion and car crash, every knife nick and every hand to hand fight that could easily have cost him his life. The hundreds of highly technical, classified operations that he had literally flown by the seat of his pants to complete, and there here he was about to die as a result of going on a surfing weekend with the LAPD liaison and his partner would have no idea where to even look for his body.

He never been afraid to die- when you had looked death in the eye as many times as he had, you lost the fright and focussed on the reason that you had survived. His lack of fear had always been based on his death meaning something- it being for a purpose, not this. This was meaningless, a twisted man seeking revenge for something that happened so many years ago. His death would be for nothing and that was what pained him the most. If there had been any spare moisture left in his body he was sure that he would have shed a tear- instead he merely closed his eyes and concentrated on drawing each shuddering breath, hoping that he wouldn't realise when it became his last.

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Sam tapped his fingers against the steering wheel- willing the phone to ring with any form of update. He couldn't lose his partner, there was no way he was willing to let that happen- Callen had many more things to do in life before he met his maker and Sam was there to make sure that he managed to do them. He couldn't even believe that this had happened- it was supposed to be a relaxing break for them all and this was how it had ended. No he wasn't going to accept that- no way in hell. His fist clenched tightly around the steering wheel as he considered the possibility of losing his partner. Just as he could feel his anger and frustration rising in him his phone chirped and all three team members jumped.

"Go on Eric" he greeted the tech, keen to hear all the information that the man had to give him.

"Sam you were right- that model of yacht does come as standard with a lifeboat. I have hacked into the CCTV system at the jetty and when the vessel was docked the lifeboat was missing" he explained. "However it was moored there over night a week ago and the lifeboat was present" he finished.

"What time was it left there today?" Sam queried.

"It wasn't- it was docked on Sunday at around lunchtime" Eric told him, knowing that the news wouldn't be welcomed.

"Callen's has been out in the middle of the ocean for twenty-eight hours" Kensi muttered. "It is eighty five degrees out there" she added, knowing that the information was unnecessary but unable to help the words from escaping her.

"Is the boat fitted with a tracker?" Sam asked Ops.

"Yes I am just awaiting the download and the coastguard are on alert as soon as we have a search area" Nell added from behind her colleague.

"We don't even know where to start looking" Kensi whispered.

"What is the nearest to the beach house that would be suitable for that boat?" Deeks asked from the back seat.

"Just loading the map now" Eric replied.

"Good thinking Deeks" Sam commended him, appreciating his line of thought.

"Right Marina del Ray is the closest- I am sending co-ordinates through to you all of the search area between the two docks" Nell stated, typing as she spoke.

"Contact the coast guard- it is as good an area as any to start" Sam agreed, desperate to find his best friend and the closest thing he had ever had to his brother.

"Now we need to get us a boat" Deeks commented looking around at the water that surrounded them.

"I am on it" Kensi stated with a gleam in her eye that Deeks knew meant trouble.

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Hetty paced up and down in Ops- she was beyond worried, this was not supposed to happen. Where Goddard had even cropped up from they were still to find out- answers only Agent Callen could provide she had no doubt. Did she really have to add vacations to the forbidden and too dangerous activities list?

End Chapter Seven

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	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Well here is the last actual chapter of this story- the quickest story I have ever written! Thank you for the lovely reviews you guys are amazing!

Chapter Eight

"Do I even want to know where this came from?" Sam queried as the three operatives motored off into the expanse of ocean around them.

"Probably not" Kensi replied with a grin. "Now let's find Callen so we can all go and get a beer" she added.

"Amen to that" the detective added from behind her. "So what is the plan?" he asked as he held on to the side rail.

"The coastguard are heading out from Marina Del Ray- we head out from this direction and hope that Eric gets back to us with the information from the tracker and one or the other of us are near to any static activity" Sam commented as they moved quickly through the water. The others nodded, looking around through binoculars for any sign of their currently missing team leader.

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"Any update on the link to Goddard?" Hetty asked her technical team, as she observed them with folded arms.

"To be honest Hetty we have been focussing more on finding Agent Callen" Nell replied, pulling no punches in her response. Hetty couldn't help the small grin of satisfaction that graced her features- this was a good team that they had created, no that was unfair it was more than that. It was a family.

"Good- feel free to continue Miss Jones" she instructed, she knew what the agency's priority would be- but hers would always be for the safety of her agents. Nell nodded, barely looking away from the computer screen as she and Eric frantically looked through reams of data.

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"It feels so hot" Kensi commented as she surveyed the miles and miles of open water.

"It's the direct heat of the sun bouncing off the water" Deeks replied, sweating himself and his worry for their friend increasing. Sam remained silent- focussed on steering the boat and finding his friend-there was no other option in his mind and he would accept no other outcome.

"What's that?" Kensi asked, pointing ahead of her far into the distance.

"What?" Sam queried reaching for the binoculars. "Surely it can't be" he muttered seeing something floating in the water in front of them, but unable to work out exactly what it was. Just in case they were finally coming into some luck he pushed against the throttle and headed towards it- each of them astounded by the small lifeboat bobbing up and down in front of them.

"No way" Deeks whistled as he saw the boat in front of them. Before the words had even left his mouth there was a splash beside him and Sam was nowhere to be seen- until he observed the head bobbing up a few metres away from the small boat. Sam swam with enviable power and was beside the lifeboat in a few seconds.

The former seal moved as if the devil was on his tail and quickly reached into the boat and pulled off the tarpaulin that covered whatever was hidden in the base of the boat- to reveal a very burnt and very unconscious special agent G Callen. Holding his breath Sam reached out with a shaking hand and breathed a sigh of relief when he finally managed to find a faint and erratic pulse- but it was the best thing that he had discovered all day.

"Don't you die on me G" he stated firmly as he looked for the roper that he knew would be tethered to the boat somewhere. Finding it he kept hold and swam back to the larger vessel that Kensi had acquired. Recognising what he was doing Kensi reached for the radio and quickly made contact for medical help- hoping to god that it wasn't too far away. Deeks moved quickly to the edge of the boat and between him and Sam, Callen's still form was eased carefully onto the deck.

"He is burning up" Deeks commented.

"There's a kit in my bag" Sam stated, making it clear that there was no way that he would move from his friend's side. He looked over his friend, quickly noticing the head injury and the binds that still held his swollen wrists together. He pulled out his knife and cut through them before turning his attention to the ones at his friend's feet and repeating the action. He looked up as Deeks handed his a syringe.

"Pain relief" he muttered as he surveyed his obviously critical ill friend. "How bad is it?" he asked.

"It's bad Deeks- very bad" Sam responded, as he continued to examine his friend- praying that the infamous Callen luck would continue. "Look in the fridge and see if there is any ice" he instructed softly as he began cutting through his friend's clothing. Kensi moved forward to help him- recognising immediately what he was planning. Deeks reappeared moments later with as much ice as he could find with the limited resources. Sam took them gratefully and packed them into his partner's armpits- hoping to lower his core temperature.

"He is burning up" Sam muttered, recoiling from the heat coming from his partner. Wordlessly he took the thermometer from his kit and placed it in his friend's ear. He groaned as he read the display of 104 degrees and couldn't ever recall being happier than he was the moment that he saw the coast guard arriving beside them.

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Moments later and Callen was safely stowed on a stretcher on the impressive coast guard vessel, his partner by his side- and within no time the boat was cutting through the water and heading to dry land where a helicopter awaited them to get Callen to the nearest hospital as soon as possible. Kensi and Deeks exchanged a glance and a sigh of relief.

"I can't believe we found him" Deeks stated looking around at the sheer expanse of blue surrounding them.

"I know, in all of this space we happened to find him- I just hope that we were on time" Kensi replied, her face a grim line as she realised how seriously ill her friend was.

"Come on lets go- we need to get to them before Sam drives all of the nurses nuts" Deeks told her, as usual lightening the situation.

"Why are you looking at me- I don't sail boats" Kensi told him with her hands on her hips. Each of the partners exchanged a glance, suddenly unsure if they were going to be in need of rescuing themselves.

End Chapter Eight

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	9. Chapter 9

Epilogue

Thank you for the absolutely amazing and supportive response to this story! You guys really are awesome I genuinely would not have got this finished in time if it weren't for you!

Well if nothing else I have really enjoyed reading everyone else's challenge pieces and I have enjoyed writing this! I guess I win the prize for cutting it fine to the deadline if nothing else!

Epilogue

Sam whistled as he drove through the streets of Los Angeles- the last couple of weeks had been quiet without his partner beside him. His partner had yet again suffered an extremely close brush with death at the hands of a former enemy. Harold Goddard had been arrested- the man had been sloppy- using a boat registered to his company and failing to deactivate the tracker within it, not to mention the CCTV at each of the boat yards- but he had been driven by anger and it had got him caught. He had so nearly managed to achieve his aim and it was only through sheer luck and stubbornness that his partner was still alive and well on the way to recovery.

Sam still had little knowledge as to why Goddard had targeted his partner, or how he had known where to find him. Callen had been very close lipped since he had regained consciousness, and had been his usual grouchy self when it came to doing as he was told by medical professionals. Sam smiled as he drove towards the hospital to finally bring the stubborn idiot home.

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Callen sat with his legs dangling from the side of the bed, hating how exhausted he still felt. Everything he touched seemed to just turn to hell- how could a surfing trip with a colleague turn into this. He glanced at his right arm- encased in a stark white cast to protect the broken limb and he sighed. Yet more time spend riding a desk and going stir crazy. On the bright side his partner would soon be here and he would at least be breaking out of the wretched hospital that he seemed to spend far too much time in.

He looked up as the object of his thoughts stepped through the door.

"What kept you?" he asked, his voice still croaky from his latest ordeal.

"I can go and come back later if you want" Sam responded as he leant against the door frame.

"No, now is fine" Callen responded, getting to his feet and reaching for his bag- disguising a wince as it pulled in his broken ribs. Sam shook his head in bemusement at how fiercely independent his partner insisted on being. "Please Sam- take me home" he asked softly, being unusually open about how he was actually feeling. Sam immediately grew serious recognising that his friend needed him to just get him out of there and home. He took in the still reddened complexion.

"It's quite warm out G- do you have sunscreen on?" The seal asked, half seriously. Callen groaned at the comment.

"Cheap shot Sam" he muttered as he headed out of the door. Sam chuckled to himself at his partner's reaction, knowing that the younger man would eventually see the funny side of things.

Within thirty minutes both men were in the challenger, and Sam couldn't help but notice that his friend was being unusually quiet.

"Did Goddard admit everything?" Callen asked out of the blue.

"He admitted kidnapping you and leaving you in the ocean- said he was out for revenge" Sam told him. "Do you know why he hated you?" he asked.

"I busted his brother when I was with the FBI- he never accepted his guilt and vowed there and then to get revenge. Even went to the extent of punching me outside of the courthouse" Callen replied.

"Was his brother guilty?" Sam asked, unable to help himself.

"Without a shadow of a doubt Sam- now he is serving time on death row and with any luck his brother will join him" Callen replied dispassionately.

"How did he know to find you there?"

"He didn't- one of those lovely charming, happy coincidences that only seem to happen to me" Callen responded sarcastically. "Just called by the house to pick something up that he had misplaced and happened to see my bag"

"Ah man- you have no luck at all" Sam commented with a groan, barely believing that his partner could literally be so unfortunate.

"Don't I know it. Well I suppose that isn't totally true" Callen replied. "I mean yeah that was all mighty unlucky- but you guys did somehow find me slap bang in the middle of the ocean and you came across me- I mean how does that happen?" the lead agent queried softly.

"Brother's intuition?" Sam suggested with a grin.

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Five weeks later and Callen was finally back at work, and despite the fact that he was still on restricted duties he was glad to be back. The team were relieved to see him walking under his own steam.

"Hey Callen" Deeks greeted him almost sheepishly.

"Deeks- all good?" he asked softly, not wanting the other man to feel in any way responsible for what happened.

"If you're good, then we're good" Deeks responded.

"Then we are all good" Callen agreed. Sam and Kensi witnessed the exchange in confusion.

"You guys are never going away together again- you have come back speaking the same annoying language" Kensi stated to lighten the mood.

"That suits me just fine" Callen commented, not particularly wanting a repeat performance of their last little trip away.

"Hey we had a great time until the weird psycho guy came looking for revenge and blew up the house before kidnapping us both separately and leaving you abandoned in the middle of the ocean" Deeks reasoned, defending himself.

"Not forgetting sending you on a luxury yacht holiday whilst I risked burning or drowning" Callen added.

"But apart from all that- we had a good time didn't we?" Deeks asked, keen that the break hadn't been for nothing.

"We drank good beer, ate good pizza and surfed good waves" Callen agreed. Deeks grinned in response to the agreement "but that doesn't take away from the near death experience" he added, before getting to his feet and heading over to Hetty's desk to see what fate had in store for him whilst he was unavailable for full duties.

"It is good to see you back Mr Callen" she greeted him with a smile as she handed him a cup of tea. "I trust that you have been medically released as fit for light duties?" she asked.

"Of course Hetty- you know me, I follow instructions to the letter" he told her with a grin.

"Hmm, I do know you Agent Callen. There are some files on your desk that all need signing off and the team's expense claims need finalising" she told him.

"Right away" he commented as he got to his feet.

"Mr Callen?" she called and he turned around to look at her. "I am mighty glad that whatever instinct Mr Hanna used did in fact lead him to you- you have been missed" she told him.

"I am mighty glad to" he agreed with a small smile. "I am sure the team have been fine without me" he added.

"No Mr Callen- they are never fine without you. The team is made up of little entities that make it whole. Solid stone is just sand and Water- Mr Callen, and enough time for it to become so" she added, hoping that she would get through to him that he was a massive part of what made the team the best that NCIS had to offer.

"You just had to mention water didn't you?" he asked with a groan, yet the tone of his voice told her that her message had been received and the team would be whole and solid again in no time.

The End

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